Folding furniture



(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. B. BROLASKI. FOLDING FURNITURE,

Patented June 14, 1887.

H X. M m\ wk N R V N NN & No N1 INVENTOR 4 WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

n. FEIERS. PhMo-Lilhngrapher, Washington, D. a

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(ModeL) J. B. BROLASKI. FOLDING PURNITURE.-

No. 364,796. Patented June 14, 1887.

n isss\g x NQQ INVENTOR WITNESSES: 966W ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. PholvLiMnlphur. wuhinglon. a a

(ModeL) 3 S heets-Sheet 3.

' J. B. BROLASKI.

FOLDING FURNITURE.

No. 364,796. Patented June 14, 1887.

WITNESSES INVENTOR 44 W M ATTORN llnrrnn STATES PATENT Fries.

JOSEPH B. BROLASKT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FOLDING FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,796, dated June 14, 1887.

Application filed December 14, 1886. Serial No. 221,532. (ModeL) To all whom it may, concern.-

Be it known that I, JosEPH B. BROLASKI, of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Furniture, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which-- I Figure l is a front elevation, partly in see 13 tion, of a folding bureau constructed according to my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line as x in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 y in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is asection of the same when 1 folded. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of thefolded bureau. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a completed bureau. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. r

My invention relates to the class of furniture known as knockdown or folding furniture, the object of the invention being to provide furniturewhich may beeasilyknocked down and closely packed for storage or ship ping, and which may be readily unpacked and set up for exhibition or use.

My iuventionconsists in the construction 0 and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The end pieces, A A, of the body of the bureau are provided with the usual cleats, a a, for supporting the upper drawer, and with 5 auxiliary cleats I) I) c 0', provided with chan nels (l, for receiving the back panels of the bureau when the bureau is knocked down and 'packed for shipment or storage.

The front frame, B, is formed of the end 40 stiles, e e, the shorter middle stile, f, the upper rail, 9-, the middle rail, h, the lower rail, '8, and the short rail j, intermediate between the rails h i. The rail it corresponds in position with the cleats a a, the rail j corresponds in posi- 5 tion with the intermediate cleat, 7c, and the rail 1' corresponds in position with the cleats c c. All of the rails and stiles of the front, excepting the stilef, are of uniform width and thickness. The outer front corners of the stiles'e 0 and the inner front corners of the end pieces, A A, are beveled to facilitate the folding of the parts.

The end pieces, A A, are connected with the stiles e e by metallic straps Z, pivoted to the upper and lower adjacent corners of the frame B and of the end pieces, and when the bureau isset up the stiles e e are secured to the end pieces, A A, by means of ordinary screws, as shown in Fig. 3. Vertical stiles m m are secured to the end pieces, A A, and are arranged to project inwardly toward each other when the end pieces are in the position of use. The edges of the stiles m m are grooved longitudinally to receive the back panels, at a. To the grooves of the stiles m m are fitted the removable rails 0 0, having tenons on opposite ends fitted to the grooves of the stiles m m, and in the stiles are placed eyes 12, and in the ends of the rails 0 0 are inserted hooks q, adapted to engage the eyes 1). The upper edge of the rail 0 is grooved to receive the lower end of the back panels, a n, and the lower edge of the upper rail, 0', is grooved to receive the said panels.

Between the rails 0 ois placed acenter stile, r, provided with tenons on its upper and lower ends for insertion in the grooves of the rails o 0, and opposite edges of the stile r are grooved .to receive the inner edges of the back panels, a a.

To the short stile f is hinged a partition, 0, which is adapted to swing around at right an gles to the front frame, B, with its free edge opposite the stile 1'. To the lower rail, 2', of the front frame, B, is secured a longitudinal cleat, s, and upon this cleat and the cleat c and lower rail, 0, is placed a board,-D, forming the bottom of the compartment E, which is separated from the other parts of the bureau by the partition 0. In the frame B, opposite the compartment E, is hinged a door, F, for closing the compartment. Thepartition O, on the sideexterior to the chamber E, is provided with cleats k and 0, corresponding in position to the cleats 7c 0.

Upon thecleats a a k kc care placed drawers G H I, which are all of substantially thesame construction. Therefore a description of one of them will answer for all. Each drawer is formed of a front, 16, provided with screw-eyes a, projecting inwardly at right angles from the front near opposite ends, for receiving the heads of screws 2), projecting inwardly from the sides 20 of the drawer, near their outer ends. The

inner surfaces of the sides w, near their rear ends, are provided with screw-eyes f, and the back 9 of the drawer is provided with hooks h, which engage the eyes f, projecting inwardly from the side pieces, 10. The side pieces, 10, and the front t are grooved to receive the bottom i, which holds the sides and ends of the drawer at right angles to each other, and is secured in place by a screw, j, passing through the bottom into thelower edge of the back piece, 9. The drawers slide upon the cleats a a k k c c in the usual way.

The bureau-top J is provided with the usual back board, K, and is apertured on its under surface to receive dowels Z, projecting upward from the end pieces, A A. Screw-eyesp project from the under surface of the top J, and are engaged by hooks q, pivoted to the inner surface of the end pieces, A A.

The mirror-frame L is of the usual form and construction, being arranged to support the tilting mirror M. The mirror-frame L is secured to the back piece, K, by means of ordinary screws. To opposite edges of the frame L are secured brackets 9', which support the narrow shelves 8' in front of the stiles of the frame.

To take down the bureau for packing, the frame L is first removed from the back board, K, the brackets r and shelves 8 are removed from the frame L, the drawers G H I are taken out, and the top J is detached from the body of the bureau by releasing the eyes 12 from the hooks The back rail, 0, is unhookcd from the stiles m m, the panels 12 n are withdrawn, the middle stile, r, is taken from the groove of the lower rail, 0, the lower rail, 0, is unhooked, the screws are removed from the front stiles, e e, and the end pieces, A A, are swung around in front of the frame 13 when the said frame is laid on its back, and the drawers are taken apart by releasing the hooks h, attached to the back g, from the eyes f by removing the back piece and by withdrawing the bottom i. The side pieces, 20, are then detached from the front by withdrawing the screws 1) from the eyes a.

The fronts of the drawers are placed in their normal position in the frame B, and the several parts of the drawers are packed in the spaces between the cleats, and finally the back panels, a a, are inserted in the groove (1 of the cleats b b c c, holding all the smaller parts in their places. The package is then reversed. The removable rails and stiles are packed in the spaces at the back of the frame B. The frame L, with the pivoted glass M, is then placed at the back of the frame, and over the smaller parts inclosed by the spaces of the frame B. The top J and the bottom 1" of the larger drawer, G, are then placed over all, and the package is fastened together by straps O, secured to the outer members of the bundle. The end pieces, A A, are held in their places on the front frame, 13, by hooks I, pivoted to the front frame and engaging pins a projecting from the edges of the end pieces.

In the construction of my improved bureau I employ wood-screws wherever necessary to strengthen the bureau when set up, or to increase the security of the package when the parts are knocked down and bound together by the straps O.

The arrangement of the screws, screw-eyes, and hooks permits of tightening or loosening the joints in case of the shrinkage or swelling of the different parts, and thus furnishes a simple and efficient means of making each joint adjustable.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, in knockdown furni ture, with the two-part removable back a n, of the ends A A, having auxiliary upper and lower cleats, b b c c, on their inner sides provided with channels (I to receive the said back sections when the article is folded, substantially as set forth.

2, The combination, in knockdown furniture, with the ends A A, having the transverse upper and lower cleats, b b c c, channeled on their inner adjacent faces, as at d, the rear vertical grooved stiles, m m, and the rear central vertical grooved stile, 1', between the stiles m m, of the back sections, a a, engaging the grooved stiles m r m when the article is set up and the grooved cleats b b c 0 when knocked down or folded, substantially as set forth.

8. A knockdown bureau comprising the ends A A, having the drawer supporting cleats, the upper and lower auxiliary-cleats, I) b c 0, having channclsdin their adjacent faces, the vertical grooved stiles m m at the rear edges of the ends, the upper and lower longitudinal grooved rails, o o, engaging the stiles m m, and retaining devices therefor, the back sections, a a, the front frame, B, detachably secured between the front edges of the ends A A, and having drawer-apertures, and the top J, detachably connected with the ends, sub stantially as set forth.

4. The knockdown bureau comprising the front B, having vertical stiles e e, the upper, middle, and lower rails, g h i, the cleat s on. rail i, short middle stilc,f, the short rail j, the ends A A, hinged at their front edges to the front edges of the stiles c c, to swing forwardly over the frame 13, the vertical grooved stiles m m at the rear edgesof the ends, the inner transverse cleats, a a, in line with the front rail, h, the cleat k, in line with rail 7', the upper and lower auxiliary cleats, b I) c c, having channels (I, the grooved stiles m m, the grooved upper and lower rear rails, 0 0, detachably connected to stiles m m, the vertical grooved stile r, the back sections, a a, engaging the stiles m r m and rails 0 0, the hinged partition 0, having cleats c k, the separate bottom D, resting on cleats c s and on the ICC lower rail, 0, the knockdown drawers G H I, projecting inward near the rear ends of the 10 and the door F, substantially as set forth. sides, the back having hooks h on the ends 5. A knockdown drawer comprising the of its rear face engaging the screw-eyesf,and front if, having screw-eyes 1t, projecting inward the bottom 13, resting in the grooves of the 5 near its opposite ends,the sides w w, abutting sides, substantially as set forth.

against the ends of the front and having lon- JOSEPH B. BROLASKI.

gitudinal grooves in their inner faces near W'itnesscs: their lower edges, the screws 1;,passed through GEORGE L. WIMMER, the eyes it into the sides 20, the screw-eyes f, OoRNELIUs J. VOORHIS. 

